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City back in talks with company that had misunderstood zoning regulations

By ADAM STEWART

News editor

Marion is back in talks with a company that previously passed over the city as a potential site for a new store because of a misreading of zoning regulations, city administrator Roger Holter said Tuesday.

Specifically, the company’s site selector misread rules for outdoor merchandise displays and illuminated signs, he said. The site selector thought that the rules prohibited such things throughout town, while in fact they only apply on Main St. between Elm and Walnut Sts.

After hearing from the site selector that it was passing Marion over, Holter contacted the parent company and explained that he thought the company would best be served with a location in the business or industrial park, which do not have the same rules against outdoor displays and illuminated signs.

The conversation is ongoing, but there have been no commitments yet, he said. He said the city is proactively pursuing a convenience store with fuel to open close to U.S. 56.

Later this year he will turn his attention to seeking a general retailer for the same area.

The Planning Commission is reviewing the city’s zoning regulations, partly to find places where rules could be made easier to understand on a quick reading, Holter said.

As for a rumor that the company is the same one that is planning to build in Hillsboro, Holter said he has no knowledge of that, because he has no indication what company is considering Hillsboro.